Just Watched

Plane crash investigation

"During the time it was crashing, I thought it was all like a dream because I didn't know (if) it was actually happening," 13-year-old Joseph told CNN's Sara Sidner.

"We were all bouncing all over the place," 15-year-old Esther added. "I just remember there being dust everywhere. I was freaking out, and then it just stopped."

The seats in front of them collapsed across their knees. Luggage and debris littered the cabin.

"After everything stopped and then I realized I was alive, I looked over and I saw my brother and sister. They were both fine," Esther said. "And then I looked over at my mom and my dad, and they were both on the floor because their seats fell down."

Joseph tried calling out to his parents across the aisle. But he couldn't breathe.

"I got the wind knocked out of me ... I was just hoping I could get some air because it was really scary," Joseph said.

The parents eventually responded to their children's calls with moans. The siblings knew they were alive.

But there was no time to absorb what happened. The plane could catch fire at any moment.

"The flight attendants just said get out any way you can," 11-year-old Sarah said.

"Me and my brother were out before my dad, my sister and my mom were out. So I was wondering if they were out of the plane, or still in the plane, 'cause after a while the plane started ... having a fire."

Nearly three hours after the crash, David Eun walked through customs at San Francisco International Airport. By then, the adrenaline rush was subsiding enough that he could begin processing the enormity of it all.